Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वेषां चैव पापानां प्रायश्चित्तमिदं स्मृतम् । कपिलेश्वरं तु संपूज्य कन्याकोटिफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

sarveṣāṃ caiva pāpānāṃ prāyaścittamidaṃ smṛtam | kapileśvaraṃ tu saṃpūjya kanyākoṭiphalaṃ labhet

Translation

ഇത് എല്ലാ പാപങ്ങൾക്കും പ്രായശ്ചിത്തമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം. കപിലേശ്വരനെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിച്ചാൽ കന്യാ-കോടി ദാനഫലത്തുല്യമായ പുണ്യം ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; विशेषणम् (पापानाम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पापानाम्: of sins
• पापानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular (pronoun)

• स्मृतम्: is said/remembered (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (PPP)

• कपिलेश्वरम्: Kapileśvara (Śiva)
• कपिलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; कर्म (object of संपूज्य)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• संपूज्य: having worshipped
• संपूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पूज् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (gerund)

• कन्याकोटिफलम्: the merit equal to (giving) a crore of maidens
• कन्याकोटिफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या + कोटि + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘कन्याकोटेः फलम्’ (fruit equal to a crore of maidens)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapileśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Mahādevī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers bilva leaves, flowers, and water to a black stone liṅga labeled Kapileśvara; priests chant while lamps flicker; the setting suggests a revered Prabhāsa sub-temple with pilgrims seeking expiation.

Characters & Entities

• Kapileśvara
• Prāyaścitta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship at a sanctified Śiva-kṣetra functions as powerful prāyaścitta, transforming past demerit through sincere pūjā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapileśvara in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised as a place of expiation and immense merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform complete worship (saṃpūjā) of Kapileśvara as an expiatory act.